Coaching for Leaders

7 Ways To Stop and Think Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, posted an article this past week titled The Importance of Scheduling Nothing. Here are seven ways that you can also stop and think: 1) Stop telling yourself the lie that next week/month/year will be better 2) Book time to think each day, especially if you are a scheduler Dedicate time each day to think If you really want to discover what’s important to you, check your calendar and your bank account Check out this advice from Ursula Barnes, the CEO of Xerox 3) Brainstorm with yourself before brainstorming with others Check out the interview with Leigh Thompson on the most recent HBR Ideacast highlighting the truth about creative teams 4) Turn things off Turn off the phone and email Here’s a recent New York Times article citing research on the importance of freeing our brains 5) Write stuff down Check out David Allen’s book Getting Things Done Michael Hyatt produced a podcast on the Lost Art of Note-Taking on episode #47 of his show, This Is Your Life I use the Moleskine notebook for Evernote for all my note-taking…but it’s more important you have and use a system, than what the system is 6) Put things into “later” buckets I do this most actively for physical mail, bills, and online articles I use Pocket to save things to read later I use Buffer to queue posts to my social networks 7) Start saying no to more Start with something small Are you getting at least as much as your are giving? (financial, enjoyment, love, contribution to the world) I’ve left some professional organizations where the above wasn’t the case Bonus) Eliminate choices that may seem sacred Get rid of TV? Do you need to always be tied into the internet? This week, I’m taking 15 minutes every day to stop and think…please join me. Connect online to discuss your results! Thank you to Carmel Purdey, Mad Oo, MIchael Oneski, and Emad Aladawee for either liking our page on Facebook, following me on Google+, or following me on Twitter. Want a booster-shot mid-week? I send a weekly article via email so you can stay connected with our community and keep getting ideas and tools that will keep you moving forward. If you’re not already receiving the weekly articles, please subscribe at this link.

Lynette Young: Google+ for Small Businesses Virtually everyone wants to build their professional network, but few people are truly effective at doing it in person – and many believe it’s ever more challenging online. On this episode, I welcome Lynette Young from Purple Stripe Productions and author of the book Google+ for Small Businesses. Over 1.5 million people follow Lynette online, so she brings a lot of credibility and experience to those of us who want to engage online more effectively. Please note that since this episode originally aired, Google has permanently sunsetted the Google+ social media network. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jamie Welsh: Red Willow Group When any of us are seeking better results, our first inclination is often to explore how we can change others. In reality, one of the best changes we can make is to first look at ourselves. In this episode, I welcome Jamie Welsh from Red Willow Group to explain how she coaches business leaders to look inward first when there are trying to create outward results. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Michelle Smith: O.C. Tanner Vice President, Business Development for O.C. Tanner The 10 steps we discuss: Strategic planning Understand your audience Fact finding Program structure Communication Type of awards Budget Measurement Tracking Analysis Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Michelle Smith: O.C. Tanner Vice President, Business Development for O.C. Tanner Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Towards the end of his life, Mark Twain famously said, “I’m an old man and I’ve known many troubles, most of which never happened.” Like Twain, many of us find ourselves captivated by worry on a regular basis. In this episode, we’ll take a look at this human reality and some of the things that each of us can do to better control worry, both professional and personally. Make a decision that it’s OK to worry once in awhile Take Dale Carnegie’s advice of “What’s the worst that can happen?” Get out of your own box and focus on serving others rather than worrying about ourselves Address challenges proactively – when there is trouble, take action! Live in day-tight compartments Some of the books we mentioned on this episode are: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers Getting Things Done by David Allen Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Heather Backstrom: Executive Coach Some people live about 90 years. Some people live one year, 90 times. Which one are you and how does it affect your leadership of others and yourself? In this episode, my guest Heather Backstrom and I discuss the topic of purpose and how clarity of purpose can help us be more effective leaders and have more balanced and fulfilled lives. Not clear on your values? My one-page values exercise is available at this link. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jacquelyn Thorp: Train Me Today Sometimes things show up in the workspace that we don’t want and didn’t anticipate. In this episode, my guest Jacquelyn Thorp and I discuss what to do when someone on your team smells and is causing issues for colleagues. Jacquelyn brings her experience from handling this situation many times to help us address this proactively. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Bringing smart ideas to the table isn’t enough; we also need to be able to sell those ideas. The best idea communicated poorly will fare much worse than a mediocre idea communicated well. In this episode, I’ll examine what you can do to help your ideas take off. Six mistakes you may be making when pitching a great idea: 1) Neglecting to interact with the people who are impacted most by your idea. 2) Ignoring people who could help you. 3) Spending too much time on the unimportant details. 4) Assuming the “pitch” is the decision point. 5) Failing to strategize how to work around obstacles. 6) Hesitating on bad news. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

JoAnne Norton: Family Business Consulting Group Family businesses account for 60% of all jobs in the United States and 98% of all companies elsewhere. The dynamics of family business are unique and communication becomes even more critical. In this episode, I interview family business consultant JoAnne Norton of the Family Business Consulting Group on how family business can prosper from one generation to the next with effective communication. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.